The present invention relates to an information distribution system which, for example, distributes information from an information storage apparatus in which information is accumulated to an information transmitting apparatus and further, by outputting the information received by the information transmitting apparatus, makes it possible for a terminal apparatus to copy the information; an information processing apparatus provided in such an information distribution system for carrying out a predetermined process; and an information processing method.
Previously, an information distribution system has been proposed by the present applicant, such that, for example, a plurality of musical pieces data (audio data), video data and the like are stored in a server as a data base and at the same time, out of these plurality of information, necessary data is distributed among a plurality of intermediate server apparatus and out of the intermediate server apparatus, designated information can be down-loaded to a portable terminal apparatus personally owned by a user.
For example, in the above-mentioned information distribution system, when a thought is given to a case where a user having a portable terminal apparatus carries out a retrieval to down-load a desired piece of music from the server apparatus or the intermediate server apparatus, the user needs to input information to specify the piece of music such as the name of the piece of music, the name of a player and the like out of the data on the piece of music to be downloaded.
However, it does not always happen that the user knows about the name of the piece of music and the like to be downloaded. For example, in an environment where the user leads an ordinary life, on many occasions, the user takes notice of some pieces of music as when he listens to the pieces of music used as commercials broadcast by a radio and a television and when he listens to some pieces of music inserted in television dramas, movies and so on. In these circumstances, it naturally happens that the user, although he remembers the names of the merchandise of the commercials, the sponsor""s names, the titles of the dramas, the movies and the like, does not accurately recalls information such as the names of the commercials used therein, the player""s names and the like or does not entirely knows about them.
Here, if the information distribution system does not adopt a retrieval system which can carry out a retrieval based on only information directly concerning the piece of music such as the name of the piece of music, a player""s name and the like, when the user does not have accurate knowledge of the name of the piece of music and the player""s name of the piece of music he wants to download, a retrieval can not effectively be carried out.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is, even when a user does not accurately know about the information to be able to directly specify the name of the piece of music, the player""s name and the like, to make it possible to carry out an efficient retrieval of the name of the piece of music the user wants to download based on other retrieval items.
Meanwhile, the information and other various kinds of services the user downloads are billed by the information processing apparatus and for example, when the above-mentioned other retrieval items can have something to do with setting of the billing, it is desirable to be able to obtain a more rational system in for use with the information processing apparatus by taking this into consideration.
For this, there is provided an arrangement of an information processing method in which after main information is stored in a first memory area, and information which has the contents related to each of the main information and is capable of being used as a retrievable item for retrieving the main information is stored in a second memory area as sub-information, the information processing method including: a sub-information selecting process for selecting the sub-information according to a predetermined operation; a main information retrieving process for retrieving the main information corresponding to the sub-information selected by the sub-information selecting process; a sub-information outputting process for reading out and outputting the sub-information selected by the sub-information selecting process from the second memory area; a main information outputting process for reading out and outputting the main information retrieved by the main information retrieving process from the first memory area; and a billing process which carries out the billing of the main information outputted by the main information outputting process and when an output by the sub-information outputting process is executed with respect to the sub-information on the main information which is an object of the billing, reduces the amount of money to be billed.
Also, there is provided an information processing apparatus, comprising: a main information memorizing means for storing the main information; a sub-information memorizing means for storing information of predetermined content which has the contents concerning each of the main information as well as capable of being used as retrieval items for retrieving the main information as a sub-information; a sub-information selecting means for selecting the sub-information according to a predetermined operation; a main information retrieving means for retrieving the main information corresponding to the sub-information selected by the sub-information selecting means; a sub-information outputting means for reading out and outputting the sub-information selected by the sub-information selecting means from the sub-information memorizing means; a main information outputting means for reading out and outputting the main information retrieved by the main information retrieving means from the main information memorizing means; and a billing means which carries out the billing of the main information outputted by the main information outputting process and reduces the amount of money to be billed when an output by the sub-information outputting process is executed with respect to the sub-information on the main information which is an object of the billing.
Also, there is provided an arrangement of an information processing device, comprising: an information storing apparatus which is constituted such that information in terms of units according to predetermined contents is stored therein and as an information outputting operation, required information can be outputted out of at least the stored information; an information transmitting apparatus which, by being made capable of carrying out communication with the information storing device, is made capable of a receiving operation for receiving information outputted by the information storing device as well as is made of capable of transmitting outside through an output of the information at least obtained by the receiving operation as an information outputting operation; and a terminal apparatus which is made capable of downloading at least information transmitted by an output from the information transmitting apparatus by being made capable of communicating with the information transmitting apparatus. An information processing system is provided in the information processing apparatus, including: a main information memorizing means for storing the main information; a sub-information memorizing means which has contents concerning each of the main information as well as stores, as the sub-information, information capable of being used as a retrieval item for retrieving the main information; a sub-information selecting means for selecting the sub-information by way of a predetermined operation; a main information retrieving means for retrieving the main information corresponding to the sub-information selected by the sub-information; a sub-information outputting means for reading out and outputting the sub-information selected by the sub-information selecting means from the sub-information memorizing means; a main information outputting means for reading out and outputting the main information retrieved by the main information retrieving means from the main information memorizing means; and a billing means which carries out the billing of the main information outputted by the main information outputting means and reduces the amount of money to be billed when an output by the sub-information outputting means is executed with respect to the sub-information on the main information which is an object of the billing.
According to the above-mentioned arrangement, for example, at a time of downloading the main information, by presenting the sub-information as a retrieval item, it becomes possible to specify and select information to be desirably downloaded based on the sub-information.
Then, for example, at a time when the download information is selected by the sub-information, if sub-information is outputted and presented in predetermined forms to a user by preparing sub-information having advertising elements, it is possible to set billing such as reducing an amount of money commensurate with advertising rates from an amount of money for downloading.